"Unit 14 on scene at Miller's Hardware," Turner announced over the clear frequency. "Dispatch, log audio record for incident report."
Amanda looked between the deputy and the elderly man in the flannel shirt, bewildered by the dynamic.
"Deputy, what are you doing?" Amanda demanded. "I am the victim here! Arrest him!"
Deputy Turner turned to Amanda, his expression turning stone-cold.
"Ma'am, for your information, before Mr. Miller took over his family's hardware store full-time, he served twenty-four years as the elected High Sheriff of this county. Every deputy on this force, including me, was trained by him. Furthermore, every square inch of this store is wired with state-of-the-art surveillance and synchronized audio."
Frank pointed calmly to the discreet wide-angle security camera mounted directly above the register, blinking with a steady blue recording LED.
"The recording captured your entire transaction, Mrs. Sterling," Frank said evenly. "From your demand for fraudulent discounts to your explicit false statement to emergency dispatch claiming you were being threatened."